Missing Prince?

Clacking boots on the hard stone floor was once again heard on the palace halls. Servants were secretly whispering to each other in anxiousness. This was yet again another incident that caused the palace into panic and chaos as they continue to look for their Prince who seems to be absent inside the palace. Everyone working in the palace was frantically looking in every corner for the missing prince. They knew that whenever the prince disappears it would not end well for all of them.

"Did you find him?" a woman with dark short hair and crystal blue eyes asked one of the guards who was tasked to look for the prince.

"Not yet Lady Karina," the guard politely replied.

"Okay, inform me if you find him. Do everything you can to find him." She commanded and the guard immediately complied. He hastily left the place and joined the others in their hunt.

The woman named Karina is a part of the Order of the Blue Phoenix, a specialized squad tasked to protect the crown prince of Archellia. Karina Alva is a remnant with an affinity to the element of water. Although one would think that she should be calm and amiable like her element but that is not the case for her, she is known for her explosive and straightforward personality. Though most of the time she would be calm but in matters that involve the prince, she was known to always lose her cool.

Rumors about her also say that she can cut an enemy without hesitation and that she takes joy in killing. This is the reason why she was given the name Goddess of Death but despite all the rumors, no one had actually seen her in that state. All they see right now is a woman who can't sit still because of worry.

'Where did that stubborn prince go?' Karina angrily asked herself. She stomped towards the training area to check again but she found no one. She has been running back and forth inside the palace only to turn up empty-handed. She was at her wit's end for not locating the prince.

After another hour of no results, the people inside the palace began to feel more anxious and avoided any work related to the highest monarch of the kingdom. All in the palace knew the King's unstable temper and nobody would want to risk it in facing the king in case he knew what was currently happening.

"Will you please stop pacing around Karina, I can't concentrate with you walking all over the place," a man with curly black hair and bright green eyes exclaimed.

"How can I stop pacing in this situation, the prince is missing! Aren't you even nervous about this? What if the king learns of what is happening? He will surely punish us…" she wasn't able to continue what she was going to say when a man with long braided blonde hair and fiery red eyes interrupted her. Her glassy blue eyes clearly showed how worried she was.

"Stop your blabbering Karina, let Arthur do his job in locating the prince." The blonde man gestured for Arthur to continue what he was doing.

"I'm sorry Apollo, I'm just worried. I was supposed to be with him today but before I even had the chance to accompany him, he is nowhere to be found." Karina exclaimed as she flopped down on the seat and sighed in defeat.

"I will find him, Karina, don't worry, and trust me okay." Arthur winked at Karina, who just gave him a glare.

Arthur once again closed his eyes and silently whispered a spell that reacted to the air around him. The air slowly coiled around him for a minute before it scattered in all directions. Arthur remained unmoved even after some of the air that scattered returned, the returning air once again coiled around him showing their intimacy to the one who summoned them.

He is the second member of the Order of the Blue Phoenix and he has an affinity with the wind. Like his element, Arthur Weint is a child at heart and often gets into trouble with all the pranks he loves to do around the kingdom. He is the youngest among the members of the Order.

The last man in the room remained silent for the rest of the time. He was silently gazing outside the window, his thoughts were hard to grasp. Apollo Bryller, is considered the leader of the Order. He is said to have the strongest affinity to fire elements in Archellia. He is a man of few words and often portrayed as a monster and a cruel man on the battlefield. It is said that no one can match up to him in combat.

While the palace is in a silent uproar and walking on eggshells while dealing with the king, on the southern part of the forest surrounding the palace, a lone figure of a young man is currently perched on a tree while he peacefully sleeps. The young man's black locks with streaks of silver gently sway with the wind as he continued to slumber, oblivious to the mess caused by his disappearance.

While the room where the three members of the Order were in silence, Arthur smiled when he heard the whisper of one of his wind spirits which he sent to look for the prince.

"I found him," Arthur opened his eyes and smiled.

"Where is he?" Apollo's stoic expression faced Arthur.

"It took a long time but one of my little winds whispered that he saw the prince outside the palace on the southern forest," he informed them and waited for their reaction.

"What!?" Karina exclaimed in a high-pitched voice at the information. "What is he doing out there alone?" she asked in shock. "I mean, how did he even reach that place without us noticing?"

"We better go now before the king decides to come here and ask us where his son is, I don't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath," Apollo spoke and the other two nodded in agreement.

After tracking the prince for almost an hour, the three of them finally arrived at their destination. They saw the prince sleeping peacefully in one of the branches of an old tall oak tree. Karina released an inaudible sigh upon seeing that the prince was alright.

Finally, the young man stirred from his sleep and slowly opened his azure eyes, and just like his hair, a ring of silver adorned his eyes with golden flecks which he inherited from his father's bloodline. He slowly blinked, once, twice before he was able to focus on the figures underneath the tree he was perched on.

"Your highness," the three of them greeted and bowed. The prince nodded and jumped from the branch to the ground and gracefully landed on his feet.

"We must return to the palace for your absence has been long overdue," Apollo said as he continued to bow.

"Yes, I'm sorry I overslept and forgot about the time." The prince turned on his heel and followed the path leading to the palace.

The walk to the palace was silent and uneventful but the four of them were comfortable with the silence. Different thoughts were running in their minds. Upon their arrival at the palace grounds, the king immediately summoned his son. The prince silently walked through the corridors to his father's study.

"I've heard of your escapade Orion, how many times do I have to tell you not to go off on your own without your guards following you," the king was particularly calm at the moment but no one knows when he will explode.

"I'm sorry father, it was not my intention to stay out so late but I overslept and forgot about the time," Orion apologized and the king just let out a sigh.

"Please Orion, the next time you want to venture outside of the palace grounds inform me and bring your guards along with you," the king reminded his son in an exasperated voice. "You are my son Orion and the heir to the throne of Archellia so be always careful, do not forget that, do you understand me?" The king then added with seriousness in his voice.

"Yes Father," Orion answered.

"You are dismissed." King Leon waved his hand and Orion took this as his cue to leave.

Prince Orion made his way to his room and sat beside the window. The sun was now slowly setting on the horizon giving way to the blanket of darkness to cover the sky. He sighed and continued to look afar.

"You look down my prince, is there something bothering you?" Apollo stepped out from the dark and silently watched Orion.

"It's nothing, no need to worry." Orion smiled and continued watching the outside world.

Apollo remained silent and retreated to the shadows. He continued to watch the prince silently as he was lost in his own thoughts. The sun slowly disappeared on the horizon and the kingdom was covered in darkness.